demagogue on 7/7/2013 at 23:06

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I think Kolya's posts are charmingly pure, if semi-oblivious.
He speaks truth to power whatever the situation.

I have a simple rule, which is to never defend wrong or stupid things governments do, or counter wrongs with wrongs on the other side. I don't have qualms saying a duck is a duck. Like Andrew Jackson, American war hero & on our money & all, but he ethnically cleansed the U.S. SE of its native population so was a dick, even if people at the time didn't think it was so bad; I'd never defend it. And I even see the panache of throwing rhetorical grenades while other people are waving their little flags. It reminds me of Lady Gaga's recent concert for Singapore's National Day when they going through the goodie bag everybody got, "now everybody wave your little flag, wave your little flag..." lol. I used the term 'pissing on our flag' for comedic purposes, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. Say what you want to say or what's a forum for?

But for the record, my take on national days is usually to defer to playing up whatever's redeemable about a culture. Every culture has something. For October 3, e.g., the thing we'd historically do having anything to do with Germany is going to Oktoberfest around that time, trinken lots of bier & laughing a lot... Even if it's a caricature, it's an excuse to feel German and have a good time, like everybody is Irish on St. Patrick's Day, and July Fourth is our day.